Assistant Athletics Director - Player Strategy & Contracts

Michigan State University; East Lansing (MI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Michigan State University seeks an Assistant Athletics Director for Player Strategy to drive athlete compensation strategies and roster planning for Football and Men’s Basketball. You will lead negotiations, analytics, and policy coordination to optimize recruitment, retention, and program sustainability.

The role requires experience in athlete representation, contract negotiation, and advanced analytics, with strong financial modeling and leadership capabilities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Sports Management, Finance, Business Analytics, Statistics, or related field.
• 3–5 years of experience in professional sports representation, athlete contract negotiation, sports analytics, front-office operations, roster management, or related field.
• Experience building financial models, valuation frameworks, or compensation analyses.
• Strong analytical and quantitative skills.

Responsibilities

• Serve as primary contact for athlete agents and representatives regarding compensation discussions and roster retention.
• Facilitate financial negotiations with athletics legal counsel for contract drafting and execution.
• Collaborate with football and basketball leaders to develop athlete compensation frameworks balancing objectives and budget.
• Leverage analytics and market intelligence to evaluate athlete value and roster investments.
• Monitor athlete markets to identify compensation trends and talent benchmarks.
• Lead analytics initiatives focused on roster construction, athlete acquisition, retention, and forecasting.
• Advise coaches and leadership on market conditions and negotiation trends affecting recruiting and transfers.
• Coordinate with leadership, finance, and legal counsel to ensure terms align with policies and regulations.
• Maintain records of compensation commitments and market analyses for long-term planning.
• Manage day-to-day administration for Drops Back and CAPS system updates.

Skills

Analytical skills

Contract negotiation

Data analytics

Roster management

Financial modeling

Education

Bachelor's degree in Sports Management/Finance/Analytics

Tools

Excel

Financial software

Job description

Michigan State University seeks an Assistant Athletics Director for Player Strategy to drive athlete compensation strategies and roster planning for Football and Men’s Basketball. You will lead negotiations, analytics, and policy coordination to optimize recruitment, retention, and program sustainability.

The role requires experience in athlete representation, contract negotiation, and advanced analytics, with strong financial modeling and leadership capabilities.